Lysenkoism

Lysenkoism refers to an episode in Russian science where a non-scientific peasant plant-breeder named Trofim Lysenko came to prominence during the Lenin/Stalin years of the Soviet Union. Lysenko and his followers rejected Darwinism. Lysenko’s views found favor with Soviet leadership. Scientists who refused to accept Lysenko’s ideas were killed or sent to the gulags. The results were predictable: the steady deterioration of Soviet biology for more than three decades. The broad scope and impact of Lysenko’s bad science is unusual and incredibly tragic. But this sort of influence is not unique. The promotion of bad or flawed ideas by edict can happen in any society or organization.